The University Press of Kentucky, 2005.
 
Nikki Giovanni, Cornel West, Carol Moseley Braun, Johnetta B. Cole, Martin Luther King, Jr., Shaquille O'Neal, Toni Morrison, Bill Cosby, W.E.B. DuBois and others are members of African American fraternities and sororities. Founded upon the principle of racial uplift, black Greek-letter organizations (BGLO) have been around for more than a century, and in that time have lent their collective muscle to the fight for economic, educational and social progress. In so doing, they have made monumental contributions not only to the history of African Americans, but to the history of America as well. Yet, their stories have been untold and their substantial role in the leadership development and high scholasticism of some of this country’s greatest inventors, scientists and innovators has been unknown. In “African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision,” Tamara Brown and her co-editors shine a light on some of the achievements of BGLOs, revealing how they have worked behind the scenes for years to fight for justice, equal access and the liberation of Africans in the Americas and in Africa.

Brown looks at the past and present of black Greek influence -- from its origins in the early 1900s to today. Her book discusses how multiple fraternities and sororities rose to connect African American students and inspire them to achievements in the midst of discrimination. The book then steps forward to today’s time and discusses modern day problems such as hazing.

Tamara Brown is an associate professor of psychology in College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Longwood College in Virginia, and master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues, Society for the Psychology of Women, the Association of Black Psychologists and other organizations. She is a founding member of the Pi Mu chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. at Longwood College and is currently a member of the Lexington (Ky.) Alumnae Chapter.